After recording a crazy energetic and nostalgic pod on the 1st three books and movies in the Harry Potter-verse, we knew that a second part was what we wanted (and so did you!).
TBH, I wouldn't mind making expanding the Harry Potter pod to 3462623 parts because that's how much there is to talk about when something resonates so deeply with you! I like to think of the books/movies from 4-7 (Goblet to Deathly Hallows) as having been set in the night. Metaphorically of course. The night signifies the end and it shows us Potterheads how the innocent-young-goofy energy of the characters is required to forcibly grow up and #adult.
4. Goblet of Fire
This book takes us on a crazy ride from introducing Barty Crouch- to the reveal of there being other wizarding schools- to the Triwizard tournament being announced - to Mad-Eye Moody- to the shock of Harry being a contender- to Harry & Ron's fight- to DRAGONSSS- to Gillyweed- to Ron getting a kiss from Fleur (he blushes so hard and how lol)- to the maze- to Voldy-thatasshat-mort resurrecting- to the reveal of Moody actually being Barty Jr.
God so much is going in that crazy 4th year and I would have run away long ago if it was me instead of Harry. The entire year feels like a crossover between the drama at a regular high school combined with the craziness of Dragons, Merpeople, a Voldy-thatasshat-Mort. Just another day, yeah?
Goblet marks a crucial turn around because of the obvious resurrection of he-who-must-be-named, but also because it marks a 'death' for the first time in the series. Until now we only had kiddy doses of hypnosis and petrified people (Ginny, Colin, Mrs. Norris et all), which makes sense as the readers were kiddy-boppers who wanted fantasy levels of magic and enchantments and whatnot, but JK took a different call with the 4th book. The killing of a character makes 'fiction' very 'real' and that's a risk that can go either way. But anywho, it was a great call that it came in the 4th book and not earlier. But for fans of Cedric, the heartbreak couldn't have gotten more real.
5. Order of Phoenix
You Suck Umbridge. Just stating that right away.
The actress who plays the character has done a helluva job at making it super easy to want to punch her and that's not even a joke lol...
Order of Phoenix takes us on a roll from beginning with Grimmauld Place- to showing us the backstory of Sirius- to Harry filled with hope that he could live with Sirius- to the order and its members- to LUNAAAA- to thestrals- to Dumbledore avoiding Harry- to Um-Iwillpuncher-Bridge- to all those ridiculous decrees- to Fred & George rebelling against Um-Iwillpuncher-Bridge- to Peeves frikking saluting them- to I will not tell lies- to the showdown with Trewlaney when Dumbly saves her- to GRAWPPP- to riding thestrals to the ministry-to the battle- to Sirius *sob*- to Fudge accepting that Voldy is indeed back.
For me, Order of Phoenix is the most heartbreaking book because my hopes soared sooo high with the idea of Harry getting a chance to beginning a new life with Sirius only for it all crashing down. I was so angry at JK for doing this because that was the first character Harry felt so at home with, and she just *ughhh-
6. Half-Blood Prince
Probably the only instance in the entire 7 books were Harry outdoes Hermoine in class (ahem thanks to the 'Advanced potion making' copy he finds). Right from introducing Slughorn, this book is where we witness for the first time the growing bond between Harry and Dumblyy and the quests the set off on!
From the intro to Horcruxes- to the backstory of Tom Riddle- to professor Slughorns parties filled with ice-creams- to Harry's trips with dumbly in the Pensieve- to Harry tasked with retrieving the true memory from Slughorn- to Felix felicis- to the death of Aragog- to Ron being love potioned- to Ron being poisoned (boy Ron had it rough lol), to the unveiling of lilies gift to Slughorn- to Draco's character dev. and struggle (lord that scene of him weeping after the birdy dies actually made me feel for him!)- to Draco getting his ass SectumSempra'd- to the room of requirement- to Harry and Dumbly's visit to retrieve the locket- to Dumbledore's heart-wrenching screams when being fed the potion- to their return to the castle and Draco almost killing Dumbly- to Snape *sob* Dumbly- to Dumbly *sob* falling from the tower- to the entire crowd raising their wands for him.
Gosh. So much sadness, and well it was just the beginning because the end was upon them.
The beginning of the end has just started...
7. Deathly Hallows
Just saying those words aloud ignites something in all Potterheads. The Deathly Hallows was what it all came down to. A book/movie that everyone waited on with bated breath, but at the same time didn't want it to be released because then the 'end' would become official. Saying those words gives me the chills, the goosebumps, misty eyes, smiles, and melancholy all together. I know there exists no word out there describing these feelings together so I'm just going to go out there and invent a new one- Maraudery (not bad). So if reading all this until now has charged up your maraudery to the max, get ready to discover a whole new level.
The Deathly Hallows begin with Voldy receiving intel from Snape on when and how Harry is going to be moved from the Durselys since the enchantments protecting him are going to fade. From there it just gets grimmer, we're led to Harry at the Dursely's watching them leave and seeing them for probably the last time- to the Order appearing and their brilliant plan of polyjuice potion and multiple Harry's- to them getting ambushed- to Hedwig *sob*- to George becoming *holey* haha- to Bill & Fleur's wedding- to the trio receving Dumbly's inheritance- to the ministry falling- to them being out on their own- to raving about in the forests running away from snatchers- to frikking hatching a plan to infiltrate Gringotts!- to them actually seeing that Dragon that everyone never believe existed- to that majestic flight on top the dragon- to being caught and- transported to the malfoy's- to escaping- to Dobby *sob*- to 'Here lies Dobby, a free elf'- to visiting Godric's Hollow- to seeing his parents grave- to visiting Hogsmeade- to meeting Aberforth- to the beginning of the battle- to Voldy getting pissed about his wand- to the frikking teachers of Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts fighting like total bossesss- to Snape being killed and Harry collecting his tears- to the biggest fucking reveal about who Snape really was- to the face off with Voldy- to the meet with Dumbly- to ugly baby voldy- to Neville frikking murdering Nagini- to Harry telling Voldy "Come on Tom, let's finish this the way we started it"- To Harry defeating Voldy with the classic 'Avada Kedavra VS Expelliarmus'- to him breaking the elder- to the end scene- to 'The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well.'
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I'm going to be real honest. I'm in tears right now, with a lot of 'maraudery' mixed in. Writing this was one of the simplest pleasures I have known and so was recording the pod. For all Potterheads, Harry Potter was more than a story or a book or a movie.
Harry Potter is an emotion.
If reading this article had you up weeping like a baby, desperate for a hit of something bigger, there is not a better place to go than the pod where we talk to all our fellow Sheeples and Potterheads the simple pleasures of the Harry Potterverse and how we grew in our personal lives as the characters grew. We try to create a safe space for all of those who need it and the feeling is exactly like how it would be if you were talking to your friends, wearing your night PJ's, in the common room of either Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin :)
You can listen to our podcast here: https://bit.ly/sheeples-potterheads-2
This is Zee signing out! See you all next time!
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